Destined
by runemagic
Summary: Whenever she is lost, he helps her find her path. Six-shot. T for content.
1. April 23, 1996

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot. **

**_Clary is six. Jace is seven. They are at a zoo. _**

**April 23, 1996**

I looked to my left then to my right, twisting my head around the sea of bodies to find the familiar figure of my mother. She wasn't there.

"Mommy!" I yelled. The adults talked loudly, stepping onto my toes. I backed away from the crowd to one of the zoo exhibits. I was too busy trying not to get stepped on to notice that I was backing into the lion exhibit.

"ROAR!"

I jumped, and ran far away from the lions, not once glancing back. I ran and ran, until I felt like I was going in circles, which I probably was. I stopped and caught my breath. Then I looked up, and saw a tall giraffe. It was more then ten times my height. I held back a scream. _Where was my mother?_

I began to run again, even though I was getting dizzy from all the sights and sounds. I eventually stopped by the pandas, because I knew from the panda book my teacher read in kindergarten that they only ate bamboo. I sat on the ground and brought my knees to my chest. Before I knew it, I started to cry.

Some people turned their heads toward me, but walked away as if nothing had happened. I was afraid, lost and confused. My mother said she would come back in a minute, but after what felt like a long time, she didn't come. I heard soft footsteps.

"Hi," said a voice. I didn't look up, believing that the person was speaking to someone else. I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Hello?"

I looked up to see a boy around me age. He had light hair, and honey eyes. The boy smiled when I finally saw him.

"Hi! I'm Jace," he said. I didn't say anything; I squirmed away from his attention. "Are you shy?" I nodded. "That's okay." Behind Jace a woman was running toward us. I hugged my knees in fear. Her face looked angry.

"Jace! How many times do I have to tell you that you can't run off without me!" said the woman. Jace rolled his eyes.

"Mom, I told you where I was going," he said.

"Yes, but you have wait for me," his mother argued. Jace huffed.

"Alright, I'll tell you next time," said Jace. He then turned to me, and pointed. "Oh, and I found a girl." His mother turned to look at me. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The woman had the same light hair as Jace did. But her eyes were blue. She crouched down next to me.

"What's your name, sweetie," asked Jace's mother. I didn't answer.

"She little shy," Jace explained.

"Where is your mother?" she asked. I shrugged. Then looked on the ground, upset. "Are you lost?" I nodded.

"Can you please just tell us your name?" asked Jace. Mother always told me not to speak to strangers. But would she be mad if I spoke with these strangers?

"Clary," I whispered. They both came closer.

"What was that, sweetie?" asked Jace's mother.

"Clary," I said a little louder.

"Nice to meet you, Clary. I'm Celine," said Celine. "I can help you find your mother if you come with me. We have to go to zoo people, so that they'll make an announcement." I didn't move.

"Oh, come on, Clary. We'll help you find your mother," said Jace. "Please! You just have to trust us." I was hesitant at first, but then slowly got off the ground. Jace smiled.

"Alright you two stay close to me." Jace took my hand as Celine took Jace's. He smiled again at me. We went back inside the crowd. I stayed close to Jace and his mother, not wanting to be even more lost. After what felt like forever we got out of the crowd, and into a small building. Celine went up to the counter were there were people.

"Is this the information center?" she asked.

"Yes, it is. How may I help you?" said a man.

"I found a lost girl," Celine said as she pointed toward me. The man glanced at me. "And I was wondering if you could make announcement to locate her mother here."

"We can do that, please wait here." He left the front desk and went inside another room. Jace and I went to sit on a bench. All of a sudden I heard the speakers go on.

"Will the mother of a red-haired girl please report to the information center. Will the mother of a red-haired girl please report to the information center, thank you." The speakers went off, and the man came back from the backroom.

"I will ask you three to wait here until her mother comes. If she does not come in a hour I will make another announcement. If her mother does not show up in more than two hours, I will have to call the police to report," said the man.

"Alright, thank you," said Celine, and joined us on the bench.

"What if she didn't hear the announcement?" I whispered. Jace took my hand.

"She will, Clary," reassured Jace. "She will." Seconds after the door of the information office opened, before I could see who it was, I felt someone hugging me. The long curly red hair told me it was my mother.

"Mommy," I whispered. She broke the embrace. On my mother's face there were tears glistening on her cheek. "Why are you crying?"

"Oh honey, I was so worried," she snuffled. Mother then turned to Celine. "Thank you so much for finding her."

"Your welcome, though I wouldn't have found Clary if it weren't for my son, Jace," said Celine.

"Well, thank you Jace for finding Clary," mother said to him. He blushed.

"Your welcome. I'm glad I found her," he said, looking at me. I smiled at him.

"I'm glad you found me, too."

For the rest of the day, Jace and I went to the rest of the zoo exhibits we hadn't gone to, yet. Our mothers looked after us as they talked about things that I was uninterested about. We skipped the lions, for my newfound fear of them. But stopped by the giraffes. Jace said they were vegetarians, so they wouldn't eat me. I sighed in relief. At some point, Jace held my hand and didn't let it go until the end of the day. I was sad when he finally had to.

**Important: **

****This story is like a one-shot I decided to space out into six chapters to make it easier to understand that they are growing up each chapter. **

****This is a sad story, so beware. This chapter probably is the happiest of all the chapters. **

**If you see a mistake, don't be afraid to tell me. **

**Review! :)**


	2. August 30, 2003

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot. **

_**Clary is thirteen. Jace is fourteen. **_

**August 30, 2003**

The police surrounded him as if he was a dangerous animal. Their guns pointed toward him as I watched my father walk out our gate fence, for what probably was the last time I would ever see him again. Before he walked through the gate, he stopped and turned his face up to my window where he knew I was watching him. I moved aside so he wouldn't see me. Then peeked out from the corner to check if the coast was clear. He was still standing there until one of the policemen shoved him forward with his gun to make my father start walking. He finally reached the car, got in, and was driven away.

I sank to the floor next to the window, and put my head between my knees. My head was buzzing, dizzying me with the events. I could hear my mother behind my locked door, repeating the same three words:

"How could he?"

The police were talking to her, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Mother probably wasn't either. Without a thought, I reached for the telephone off my dresser, and started to dial the numbers I knew by heart.

"Hello?" said the voice on the other line.

"Jace," I whispered.

"Clary?" He paused for me to answer. "_Clary?_"

"Jace," I repeated again.

"Clary?" I didn't answer. "Clary? Clary, you're scaring me."

"My dad," I said. "He…he…"

"He, what?" asked Jace softly.

"The police. They…they took him."

"What?" said Jace, confused. "Why did they take him?"

"They just did. Can you come over? Please?" I asked.

"Sure, I'll be right there." He disconnected. I heard my mother get up from my door, and went down the stairs, along with the tampering footsteps of the police. I watched out my window as I waited to see the familiar blue bike. When I heard the squeaking of tires on the pavement, I quickly got out of my room, and down the stairs.

"Mrs. Fairchild, have you suspected any suspicious activities of your husband?"

"He always comes home late since we'd married. And I was suspicious at times that he was cheating on me, but he always convinced me otherwise. But I never suspected this," rumbled mother. I slowly sneaked past the living room.

"Have you-"

"Clary?" interrupted my mother. I didn't turn to look at her. "Clary? Clary, baby."

"I don't want to talk about it, Mom," I said as I got out the door. Jace was behind the black iron fence, putting his helmet on his bike. He looked up when the door slammed shot. He gave me a sad smile as he opened his arms out for me. I ran into them, and started to cry.

"Let's go by the river and talk," he suggested. I nodded back a reply. He still had a grip on me as we walked, down to the back of the house to the river, as if he knew that I might fall if he let go. He probably did. When we got to the river, he was silent until I was ready to talk.

"The police said he's evolved with a dangerous gang, like a mafia." I watched Jace's face, which was expressionless. "He is like some big part of the gang, and part of his job description is, or was, to kidnap young women and enslave them into prostitution."

"What!" Jace was suddenly angrier than I'd ever seen him. His jaws were clenched together, and his hands were in a fist.

"I know. It's horrible," I said as my eyes burred. I felt disgusted. To be related to him, that he had fathered me, or tried to, anyway. That he was the cause of so many girls' lives to be destroyed, and so many parents to worry to death. And to unknowingly live under the same roof with that…monster made me nauseous. But at the same time, it made everything else make sense. How he could never look into my eyes, or even my mother's. How he, on more than one occasion, purposefully came home when he knew we were asleep, and left before we woke up. Or, how he would twitch away whenever we got near him. I started to notice it, as I grew older. I thought he was going through some mid-life phase, but that was not the case.

"No Clary, you don't get it." Jace took a breath to calm himself down. "You could have been one of those girls. He could have taken you away." His voice got higher, and paused in realization. "They still can." He froze. I touched his hand for a response.

"Jace?" I shook his hand. "Jace, they wouldn't get me, and if they try I wouldn't let them. I'll carry pepper spray or something everywhere I go. I'll go take self-defense classes," I said, convincing him, and myself. _That'll keep me safe, right? And even Mom._

"You promise," he finally said, looking at me. I nodded. "Come here." He opened his arms, and I gave into the embrace. We stayed like that until I cried the last of my tears. He snuffled a couple of times, too. I suddenly remembered a whole new problem: school. I pulled back in panic.

"What will the kids at school treat me like now once school starts next week, Jace?" I asked. "Will they think I'm a slut? A criminal? And the teacher! Will they think I'm a trouble maker?" My breathing got heavy from stress.

"Clary, calm down," said Jace. He grabbed one of my hands to his cheek. "What will probably happen is that people will be kind of sorry for you." Then in a lighter tone he said, "I can stay back a grade, and convince Mom to move to your town, if you want." I snorted.

"Like your mom will allow you to stay back a grade," I said.

"I'm sure is doable," he said, shrugging. Then looked back to the path we came through. "We should probably go back before our moms and the cops come chasing us."

"I don't want to go inside," I said. He frowned.

"I know, but you can't run away from it. You have to end it."

"End it how?" I asked, confused.

"Testify."

"Testify?" I said, unsure.

"Yeah, I have no doubt this case will go to court," said Jace serious.

"What will my testimony prove?"

"That your father was messing with the gang, and prove that the gang is guilty of prostitution."

"I guess," I said, shrugging. "But wouldn't that make them angrier?"

"Maybe." He paused in thought. "You just have to be careful. Just think Clary, if they get caught they'll be thrown to jail, and all those girls will be released. And I'll be with you right through each step." I thought about what Jace said. We were being reckless, but he was right. I had to end it for it to be over, not run away.

So when the police asked if I would testify, I looked at Jace, and I softly answered:

"Yes."

**AN: Don't say I didn't warn you. The next chapter is less sad. I think you guys will like it. Chapter four is sad though as is six. But you'll be the judge of that I guess. **

**What did you think? **

**Review!**


	3. May 17, 2007

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot. **

_**Clary is seventeen. Jace is eighteen. **_

**May 17, 2007**

"What happened? Your mother was frantic on the phone, and was yelling at me to put on a suit or tuxedo," asked Jace worried. He crouched down to where I sat on the floor with my wrinkling silver dress. He looked at my face, and frowned. "You've been crying."

"It's nothing," I said, trying to wipe the wetness from my eyes without smudging my mascara.

"It's never nothing when you cry, Clary. Wait, isn't tonight the prom?" realized Jace. I nodded. Recognition blazed through his eyes. "That bastard."

"It's my fault really, Jace. I should have known he never meant to bring me to the dance," I said, trying to calm him down. He suddenly turned toward me, staring into my eyes

"Clary," he said calmly, like the tide before a storm. "Never sell yourself out short. You are more precious than you realize. Don't let that bastard make you think otherwise. Now get up, get yourself ready, and let's show that him what he is missing alright?" He somehow got me to stand up.

"But Jace-"

"We're going. Besides what else are you going to do for the rest of the night?" he reasoned. I knew he was right, and I always wanted to go to prom to see what all the talk was about and I shouldn't let that jerk stop me.

"Alright," I said. "I'll be ready in thirty minutes."

-o-

"You're lucky you have Jace," said Mom as she redid my hair with her artistic hands.

"I know," I replied, as I looked into the reflection watching her comb my hair. Jace had gone home to get ready, and as he called it 'to play the part,' and to 'ring the doorbell' so that I could have my 'Cinderella moment,' whatever he meant by that.

"If anything happens to me, I know I won't be worried since he's always there for you. I hope you are not angry with me for calling him though. I just figured-"

"It's fine Mom," I interrupted. "Really." On usual circumstances, I would have probably been mad, or rather, embarrassed at Mom for asking such a favor from Jace, but it seemed worth it this time.

"You know I only ever call him when I think you need him. Sometimes I feel that he knows you better than me, which really isn't expectable," she joked as she started redoing my makeup. Then in a more serious tone, she said, "I know you have had a rough couple of years, Clary. But you have to know how incredibly proud I am of you." I smiled at her.

"Thanks, Mom," I said at the same moment the doorbell rang. Mom smiled at me through the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Clary. He won't know what hit him," she said, and left to open the door. That was when I really looked at myself in the mirror. I usual wasn't so vain to stare, but sometimes I look away from the mirror for long periods of time that I don't recognize myself anymore. The girl I expected to see in the mirror didn't show her face, it was a woman now. She had green eyes, and red hair like me, but had an angular face. Everything about her was serene and elegant. _When did I change?_

"Clary, honey, there is a charming young man waiting for you," Mom yelled from downstairs, in a joking voice. I rolled eyes but then laughed. I looked at myself once more in the mirror and opened the door to the hallway. I took a big breath before turning to the stairs.

I stood at the top of the stairs and looked down, and there Jace standing in his tuxedo with his eyes fixed to mine. I suddenly felt important as I walked down the stairs and into his outstretched arms. He hugged me.

"You are beautiful," he whispers, breathlessly. I shivered to the sensation of his voice, and blushed.

"Thank you for this," I said, looking at his gold liquid eyes.

"I should have asked you to prom first," he said in a serious tone.

"It doesn't matter now," I said as I reached to touch his cheek and smiled.

-o-

As we entered the room, people turned around to look at us. Or rather look at Jace. He had always been stunning; causing unwanted and wanted attention wherever he went. His arm was tucked around my waist as we descended to the ballroom that the school somehow managed to pay for. I looked up to his face to see his reaction, but he wasn't looking at the crowd, he was looking at me.

"What do you want to do, first?" Jace asked. Before I could answer him, I saw Sebastian and his date Kaelie. I quickly hid behind Jace out of their view.

"Let's dance," I said quickly, as I pulled his arm to the crowded dance floor.

We danced to couple of songs, and complained about how awful the songs were. We smiled at each other a lot, and moved around to the empty spaces in between each group and pair to have space to dance.

"Want to eat something?" asked Jace.

"Sure," I said, looking around to see if the coast was clear.

"You know, you shouldn't hide from him." I stopped and looked up at Jace.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. He didn't even see Sebastian, or did he?

"The bastard that asked you out," said Jace. "Did you really think I didn't know why you were so enthusiastic about dancing?"

"Well, I was hoping that you wouldn't catch on," I said looking down.

"Clary, I know he humiliated you but you shouldn't give him the satisfaction by hiding. A beautiful girl like you should never hide." He touched my chin. I brought my head up to his face. A warm feeling spread from the core of my chest to the rest of my body, I gazed at him as he gazed at me and we stood there in the sea of bodies, staring at each other.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, I jumped up to his lips and kissed him.

**A/N: It goes downhill from here, so be aware that the next few chapters are sad. Don't say I didn't warn you! **

**Review!**


	4. October 4, 2010

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot. **

_**Clary is twenty. Jace is twenty-one. **_

**October 4, 2010**

There was ceremony and people in black walking up to me to talk to me, speaking to me in small voices full of sorrow. My mind was in a daze and I couldn't understand them. But I still nodded to each one of them, until they were all gone, and only Jace was beside me.

"Do you want to go home now?" Jace asked as he rubbed my shoulders. I didn't even realize that I was cold.

"No," I replied in a calm voice.

"Do you want to stay at my apartment?" he asked. I nodded. "Then let's go then, before you get sick."

I walked to the front of the church and gentle picked up the shiny black box. I held it tightly to my chest as I walked back to Jace. He put his arm around my shoulder and we slowly went down the stairs of the church and to his shiny car.

It was almost evening, but the sun was still shining in the horizon, mocking me with its bright glare. Jace started to drive and I continued to watch the sun as it slowly, and painfully set.

"Do you know where you're going put her?" he asked while turning his head slightly to look at me.

"Yeah, I do," I said. "She always loved the ocean and sometimes she would stay there all day just so she could paint the sun as it set. We would sunburn so badly on those days." I laughed, and then frowned. "I miss her."

"That's natural. I even miss your mom." After another moment of silence, he asked, "Do the police have a suspect yet?"

"No, they have no clue." Another silence.

"Do you think it has anything to do with your dad?" asked Jace.

"I don't know," I said. I looked out to the darkening sky. "I honestly don't know."

-o-

_It was dark alley and Mom was walking. She cut through the alley, a short cut to her art gallery. As she walked with her new painting in hand, little ghost-like voices surrounded her. Mom started to walk quicker to the end of the alley, but the further she went, the farther the end of alley became. Then she heard light footsteps and annoying, eerie drops of water from the gutter. She turned around to see who it was, but there was nobody there. Mom turned back front and screamed. There on the edge of the alley way was a figure moving toward her slowly and elegantly. She started to backwards as he came closer. But she hit something, someone. Before she could scream again a hand cupped her mouth and a cold object pressed to her neck. _

_ Then she was in the water somehow. Drowning down the lake. _

_ "CLARY!" she tried to yell, but she choked onto the water instead. _

I twitched awake, gasping for air, as if I was the one drowning. I got up abruptly. Jace quickly woke up to my sudden movements.

"What happened?" he asked as he quickly got up. He wiped some wetness from my face. I didn't realize I was crying.

"I-" I began, but then started hiccupping. Jace rubbed my back as he hugged me. Once I calmed down, I spoke again.

"I had a dream about how Mom died. She was drowning and was trying to say my name."

"Don't let it haunt you, Clary," Jace said after a while. "She won't want you to be afraid for the rest of your life."

"I know. But sometimes I just can't help how I feel." After a thought, I said. "You know she always thought that you knew me better than she did." Jace smiled.

"I remember you telling me that," he said. Then after a pause, he asked, "Hey, Clary?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that once things quiet down that you are going to live again. I'm not asking you to stop grieving, because that will never go away. But just start living, if not for yourself than your mother, because I don't think she would want you to mope around forever," he said with a gentle smile. "Will you promise?"

"Okay."

-o-

My hair got into my face as the sea breeze swished and swashed. Jace didn't come with me because I thought I needed to do this on my own. Now standing here, I knew I made the right decision.

I looked around the beach, remembering little memories as I looked around. The weather was bitterly cold and was even colder since the sun was behind the puffy white clouds. From the distance I could see Mom, sitting on her stool with her canvas and easel, laughing. I blinked and she gone. I put the black urn on the sand as I took off my shoes and socks and rolled my jeans as high as I could. The sand was damp and quickly attached itself to my feet. Picked up the urn and slowly walked to the ebb of the tide. Cold seawater touched my toes and I shivered in its sensation.

The winds picked up again and I opened the urn and let the ashes slowly blow away into the sea. I walked deeper into the water, until I was knee deep, making my jeans wet. I dusted the rest of the ashes into the sea and watched the waves move it around, until all the ashes disappeared into the ocean.

"I love you, Mom."

I slowly walked back to land, put on my shoes and socks, and drove away with the empty urn.

**A/N: The next two chapters are still sad, so be aware. I don't know when I'll be updating again, but soon. I get out of school in two-ish weeks and I have to study for finals. Till then. **

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